Last Ride of 2008

I love the fact that I was able to ride outside yesterday and today in Nebraska, in December. Really lucked out with the weather, considering how frigid it was a short week ago. It was 46 degrees today...very nice! Today I went out with Robert, my former high school shop teacher. Over 65, he rides me into the dust. I went from my house to Hwy 47, met him, then we turned left just past Thirty Mile Canal, or what we call the south route. Rode to Jim and Dee's (Jim is my former high school English teacher), chatted with them for a bit, then headed back home. We had some wind out of the East, which slowed me down, but it wasn't nearly as bad as what I rode against yesterday.

I had my camera, but didn't take any pictures. Nebraska isn't all that pretty in the winter, although the blue sky would have turned out nice. The friendly folks here more than make up for the lack of scenery. I had one jerk honk at me as I approached the interstate bridge, but he was from out of state. All the other (maybe fewer than 20) drivers were their normal friendly selves, waving and giving us plenty of room. I love riding here. I love being here. Summer is only five months away and I'll get to enjoy the riding again. This time, with both Bob and Jim, as Jim and Dee are moving back permanently after they retire from teaching in California this year.

Time to add some pictures

Here's a great sign alongside the bike path...which is once again full of construction:



I'm thinking this may be my next bike style:



Ah yes, some of the better scenery in Taipei. Wonder what property rates are in this neighborhood?



Now some real beauty...

Home For Christmas!

Although travel during the holidays borders on nightmarish, it is still wonderful to be back in my own house for Christmas. Even with temperatures ridiculously low! I'm a wuss now when it comes to driving in the winter, so I haven't even ventured out to the grocery store. I think I'll head that way sometime today, though, so I can look at all the new goodies I don't get in Taiwan.

I was hoping to get in one outdoor bike ride, but the weather looks like it's going to keep me inside. Guess I'd better dust off the rollers, trudge out to the garage for my bike, and set everything up somewhere. Maybe the basement...that way it'll be out of the way if I decide to actually get some sewing done. No tv downstairs, but my iPod Shuffle should do the job of keeping me entertained while I try to stay upright. I think I'll take the resistance band off the rollers so I can just spin. Miles no longer matter that much to me, and I'd like to be able to stay on the bike long enough to get a good sweat. We'll see how lazy I'll be today and the next week and a half.

12/14/08

This was a solo Sunday am, congratulations I am done with report cards ride. Should have stayed out longer, but it was nice to go out to the wharf and back and be able to enjoy the rest of my day. I do still need to proofread my comments one more time and probably will need to make some minor corrections. And I need to prepare information for the K-12 math task force meeting tomorrow as well, so I don't get to sit around on my keister all day long. Anyway, the ride was uneventful, the bike path wasn't even crowded with people. This looks to be my last Taipei ride for 2008, since I head to the states on Friday, and most likely won't get out before or after school before I leave.

Have I said recently how much I like my new Fuji????